The Toledo, Ohio, chapter of Moms Demand Action is a small but mighty crew. According to Toledo Lead Donna Malone, nine people—give or take—typically attend the chapter planning meetings. Everyone there is passionate about ending gun violence, but their motivations for joining the movement vary. Few of the chapter members identify as survivors of gun violence. Sherin Henley is one of them.
In 2010, Sherin’s son Darrin Smith Jr. was shot and killed. Several years later, she met Toledo Moms Demand Action Chapter Leader Donna Malone. Sherin knew immediately that she wanted to be part of Moms Demand Action. She joined the Toledo Chapter, eventually becoming the local survivor lead.
Sherin and the other Toledo chapter members recognized that many people in their area had personal experiences with gun violence, but that there weren’t always dedicated spaces to come together for support.
“I’m a nurse, and I find that rewarding. I have to say, I might find this even more rewarding: Helping others in this gun violence prevention and awareness fight.”
—Sherin Henley, local survivor lead of Moms Demand Action in Toledo, Ohio.
Sherin and Donna were tabling for Moms Demand Action at an event one day when Sherin mentioned the idea of organizing a bowling event for survivors in the community.
“We tend to be sort of withdrawn and closed in at times,” she said. “As a survivor, that’s not always easy for us, to want to get out and have fun. So I wanted to do something that incorporated the survivors.”
Planning for “Bowl Over Gun Violence” started that day. Sherin immediately contacted the bowling alley. When Donna mentioned their plans to a local community partner at the Peace and Healing Commons, he asked how the chapter planned to pay for the event. He connected them with a grant writer with another community partner, Lutheran Social Services, who helped the Toledo chapter secure $2,000 in corporate sponsorships to put on the event.
Sherin and Donna also connected with other community partners, including Aviance Hill. Aviance is a member of the Everytown Survivor Network and Sisters 4 Unity, and a co-founder of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. Donna and Sherin also reached out to the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Security and Engagement (MONSE). The two have been working with Malcolm Cunningham, the Director of MONSE, who is responsible for creating a five-year plan to reduce gun violence in Toledo.
The Mayor’s Office agreed to provide Lyft rides at no cost to survivors, ensuring that transportation costs and access would not be a barrier to anyone who wanted to participate.
Throughout the event organizing process, Sherin drew on her personal knowledge of what it feels like to be a gun violence survivor. “As a survivor who has lost a loved one, you want to shield yourself behind the walls. You want to hold your loss right in your heart, in the center of your body. You don’t even really want to share your story—that’s how deep it is,” Sherin said. “Even though we know someone else has lost someone, we really do feel alone. … We literally have to overcome every single day, continuing to survive without our loved one.”
She wanted to work with Donna to create a space where survivors like her could get out of the house, learn about Moms Demand Action, and—most importantly—have fun.
“There is a place for you outside of your homes, outside of your loss. There is a place to share your loss, and that’s part of overcoming, every day, and continuing to survive as a survivor.”
—Sherin Henley, local survivor lead of Moms Demand Action in Toledo, Ohio.
And on Saturday, July 20, that’s just what they did.
Approximately 50 survivors attended “Bowl Over Gun Violence.” They received two bowling games, money for snacks, and, if they wanted, were given $15 to play arcade video games at the bowling alley. Several survivors used the Lyft rides provided by the Mayor’s Office to attend.
Sherin shared that one of the things she loves most about the Moms Demand Action Toledo Chapter is their commitment to working with others. The chapter’s engagement in the area and consistent support for other organizations was clear at the Bowl Over Gun Violence event.
Moms Demand Action members tabled at the event to share information about their work, the Everytown Survivor Network, and Be SMART with survivors who attended. Local community partners Good Grief, Sisters 4 Unity, and Harbor were also present to share resources. The MONSE Director Malcolm Cunningham attended as well, as did Douglas Adams-Arman, the executive director of the Peace and Healing Commons, the organization that had helped facilitate the connection to secure corporate sponsors. Even Sheila Blanchard, the Ohio State Survivor Lead for Moms Demand Action, drove up to attend!
Bowl Over Gun Violence was grounded in the chapter’s commitment to partnering with others in the community. It spread the message about secure storage and gun violence prevention. And, most importantly for Donna and Sherin, it succeeded in its largest goal: giving survivors a space where they could feel less alone.
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